Chilean Patagonia: Raw Natural Beauty Near The Bottom Of The World

Travel Article

One of the highlights of our travels has been Torres Del Paines National Park in Chilean Patagonia. The picture-framed photo was not from a travel magazine but from our hotel room upon our arrival. When here, there is no thought about any of the societal issues of the day; no Covid or Wokeism, you're just one with nature.

Patagonia is a vast area which covers a portion of southern Chile and Argentina. The National Park is a five-hour drive from Punta Arenas, which is only some 800 miles from Antarctica. Torres Del Paine is isolated with few people and few hotels. We had booked a year ahead of our stay at Hotel Explora, an island of luxury in a vast sea of lakes, glaciers, wildlife and those two horns of the granite Massif.

When we finished our arrival lunch, our hiking guide––yes, there are certified guides at the hotel––asked us if we were on for a short introductory hike. We came to hike, as you do if you come to this part of the world, so off we went.

Our guide, Nelson, told us it was a "moderate, not too bad hike." Anytime you hear "not too bad", you know you are in trouble. It wasn't long before we were climbing in wet inclement weather with a blowing gale. The hike up the 1000-foot Condor hill was quite steep in places and took us two hours. We were damp but exhilarated.

The following eight days involved hikes of varying lengths and difficulty, some half days, others full days. We saw plenty of wildlife, including guanacos, and the terrain featured lakes, waterfalls, glaciers and ever-present, jagged mountain peaks.

One strenuous hike, 16 kilometres long, was to a lake where the immense Grey Glacier hits the water. We boarded a boat that took us towards the face of the glacier, which is several hundred feet in height.

Some national park areas were dry when we were there. In contrast, others contained lush vegetation with swollen rivers and rushing waterfalls.

Ultimately, back at our hotel, we were always privy to splendid views of the mountains behind Laken Pehoe. Every morning we would go out in anticipation of the clouds clearing long enough to see the changing orange, red and purple colouration as the sun rose in the east. The stunning photos attest to the beauty of the sunrises.

Suppose you're after a memorable holiday that involves lots of physical activity in a remote environment. In that case, this is one of those spots to consider. It is one of those inspiring places we will never forget.